Rating of
4/4
One of My Faves of Summer 2008
Franz Patrick - wrote on 07/23/08
I really enjoyed this installment of "The Chronicles of Narnia" because it's vastly different from the first. Its move to be less magical and awe-inspiring than the first is risky but effective because the filmmakers managed to feature one battle scene after another for the older generation. Personally, I found the first film a little too precious for its own good, so I was glad to see this darker, leaner second chapter. I found this one fun from beginning to end because of the unique and interesting secondary characters, as well as the familiar faces. I must admit that I didn't like the Prince Caspian character because, not only is he boring, but I feel like his personality compared to Peter Pevensie is a bit too obvious and predictable. Of course, there were references to the Bible but enjoyed them even though I'm not a religious person. It's just nice for me to still recognize some of the references even though I haven't been to church in nearly a decade. I also liked that the film had jokes that kept the movie from becoming too depressing (I'm particularly fond of that "keep smiling" scene). As for the children, there were plethora of messages about bravery, sacrificing for the bigger agenda, humility, and friendship. The only minor problem I had with this picture is that it didn't have a menacing villain. Tilda Swinton (as the White Witch) appeared just a little bit and it was utter brilliance. I want to see more effective villains next time around. I really hope it does follow the footsteps of the "Harry Potter" franchise--that it would get darker after each sequel because as the children get older, they prefer more battle and danger.
